Pan-Mass Challenge- 1st Training Ride, 2011

April is a tough month for getting ready for my annual ride in the Pan Mass Challenge (this will be my 4th), but it is also a great month. Tough, because the weather and sunlight hours make it difficult to get out as much as I would like (I’m not one of those winter die-hards, admittedly). Last year, I got out a mere four times in April, and this year promises to be the same. Great, because the promise of spring, warmer weather and the summer that follows filled with some great training rides, capped by the Pan-Mass Challenge in August.

Last Sunday, I managed to get out on my first ride of the season. I joined a Sunday group that I rode with several times last year, a group that has a bunch of hardy members who began riding in early March. Less important but still nice, a number of them also plan to ride the Pan-Mass Challenge against cancer this year. I took a little video, some of which is below.

One thing about riding with an established group is that you go along with them, even when it means going 42 miles in your first ride (I typically start the season with 20-30 mile rides before stretching it out in May). I was pleased with how the ride went and how I felt afterwards. I credit a winter of spin classes by my friend Liz Page with beating me into shape.

While physically preparing for the PMC is hard work, the real challenge is in the fundraising. Fortunately, I have a lot of good friends who have stepped in early, and as I write this have helped me raise $1,400 towards my $6,300 goal.

100% of the funds raised goes to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and while it is tough to see close ones suffer from cancer (including my father and my wife’s late father), I feel that each successive generation has better treatment options thanks to events like the PMC.

Will you join my friends by helping support my ride? To do so, please go to http://bit.ly/2011pmc.

Thank you!

And, the promised video. It is difficult to add new things after four years, but I’ll try– and if anyone has requests for things they would like to see in one of my ride videos, please say do in the comments: